The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-05-05
A Victory for the People.
New York Herald.


Guilford Miller is but an humble farmer,
and his land comprises but hundred and
sixty acres. But the victory he has won
by the praiseworthy determination of
President Cleveland that Guilford Miller,
and mot the Northern Pacific Railroad
company, shall have his farm, is victory
for every honest settler and every poor
man seeking a homestead. 1t is victory
of the people as rightful claimants to
hundreds of thousands of acres of land
over wealthy syndicates, rapacious corpo-
rations and INSCRIPTIONS rings that have
sought to grab these lands.
Land robbery is one of the Qrossest
wrongs and most fragrant abuses of
which the people have been the victims.
On the side of the people have been
right and justice. On the side of
the grabbers have been untold wealth,
corporate power, INSCRIPTIONS means,
political and official influence. Laws
have been wrongfulIy enacted and wrong
fully administered to get boundless tracts
of the public domain out of the reach of
honest settlers into the grasp of corper-
ations and rings.
The democratic platform on which Mr..
Cleveland was elected president protested
against this great evil and called for its
reform. 1t declared:
We believe that the public land ought, as far as
possible, TO be kept as homesteads for actual set
tiers; that all uneArned lands heretofore imDrOy-
ideDtialy granted 70 railroad corporations by the
action OF the republican party should be restored
70 the public domain, and that no more grants of
land shall be granted 10 corporations or he allowed
to fall into the ownership OF alien absentees.
This policy was cor iially approved by
Mr.. Cleveland before his election, aud he
has steadfastly adhered TO it since he has
been president. In his first aud in his
second message 10 congress ne took de-
cided stand in favor OF the people on the
land question. IL is but recently that he
spoke these ringing words, which were
printed in the Herald:
A railroad corporation should have it's legal
rights.-no more, no lees. But the people should
have their rights also. | believe In the people /
believe 10 the settlers on the new Ianas OF the far
west, and believe that Corporations which be-
come too grasping should BE- restrained When a
real s5ttler i don't mean mere land BpeculatOr,
but farmer who builds his little honse and sets
about the improvement Of the acres on which he
has settled--when such a man has legally taken
possession OF bis 100 acres, he ought to feel that
the governmental II behind him, and that n his
righs ars ever invaded, the government will stand
by hin and see that no injustice is done. He bas
right 70 feel that way, and, far as this admin
istrstiOn 10 concerned, II Is clearly and without
reservation of any kind the friend Of the people.
! Willie, as matter Of course, the administration
viii protect the lawful rights Of corporation az
well AZ those Of the people, still hink Il should
be specially Jealous Of the rights OF the farmers
and the working classes. This is government
I by the people and for the people, and the people
ought @ feel aways that rs fan force viii be ex-
sfllsed 10 protect them from any unlawful en-
croaehmehtg 1 win 20 even further than that and
say that II BY any construction Of the law SEEM
| ing injustice is done 10 the humblest farmer of
the furthest corner Of the land, then the law